Road to Recovery
by WolfTvAddict
Summary: What if when Andy and Sam had noticed Oliver's squad car, things had taken a different turn when they went back inside? Sam wasn't shot and Kevin Ford got to Nick before anyone alerted him that Ford was in the building? A story about if the Season 4 Finale had gone differently and Andy had to examine her feelings for Nick as a result. McCollins.


_**Disclaimer: Rookie Blue is not mine. McCollins would still be together if it was.**_

_**A/N: Okay so first of all I really want to thank everybody who read and reviewed my last story. It really meant a lot to me and gave me a lot of motivation to write this story. Now onto this story-I promised myself I wouldn't do a multi-chapter story, but I was so damn angry at the writers for the season finale that I couldn't help it. I have this pretty well planned out and I'll try to update regularly or semi-regularly. This story is canon up to when Andy and Sam come back inside from finding Oliver's squad.**_

_**I didn't have a beta for this, so all mistakes are mine. And please review-what you think good or bad (as long as it's constructive). I really do tend to be my own worst critic. **_

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Andy tried dialing Nick again. She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears, similar to a herd of wild horses galloping up on her from behind. As she heard the start of Nick's voicemail greeting for the second time, "Hi you've reached Officer Collins…" she felt as though someone was sitting on her chest and she couldn't breathe.

She closed her eyes and attempted to breathe deeply. Being panicked wouldn't do anybody any good, especially if Ford really was in the station. Since Nick wasn't picking up his phone, all she had to do was find him wherever he was in the station and warn him. "After all he wouldn't have left without saying something to me. He probably just left his phone on a table or desk," she thought.

With those thoughts in mind, she was able to reduce her panicked to state to one of manageable fear. Knowing that he was probably still the briefing room working with Marlo, she headed that direction.

Sam had gone ahead of her during the few seconds it had taken to collect herself. She had seen him warning Officers that Kevin Ford could be inside Fifteen Division. Now Andy could see Sam arguing with an Officer Smith, who she knew from various past encounters was both egotistical and dumb-he was definitely not the brightest crayon in the box. Smith was the type of Officer who wanted to move up the ladder, but didn't have the smarts to do it. So he tried to use muscle and force instead, which resulted in all kinds of headaches.

If Sam was arguing with him now, he was probably trying to take control of the search of the building. Andy knew that protocol was to notify the Sergeant, evacuate the building, and then have a few selected Officers search the building. And under no circumstances was an Officer who was being targeted by the subject to search the building that the suspect was believed to be in.

As she got closer, her belief that Officer Smith was trying to take control of the search was confirmed.

"Over my dead I'm leaving so you can conduct this search." Sam snapped.

"Well it might very well be over your dead body if you don't leave now. You're who this guy has in his sights." Officer Smith replied back, equally as vehement. He was squaring his shoulders and trying to puff out his chest in an attempt to look intimidating.

Smith was six and half feet tall and built like a Montana logger. With his regulation military buzz cut, it wasn't that hard to believe that he had once been in the Army even if he didn't constantly go around telling people. She supposed that most people would be indeed intimidated, but Sam was too worked up for it to work.

"I don't have time for this." Sam said. He turned to her and asked, "You coming?" as he tried to step around Officer Smith.

She was getting ready to follow him when Smith moved in front of him. Sam then moved to go around him, so Smith body checked him.

Andy was getting tired of his attempt to show authority in the situation and went to go around him. They didn't have time for this. With a cocky smile he shook his head and said, "I wouldn't try that little lady."

Even under the best circumstances she would have been mad, but now she could feel her blood boiling. She started grinding her teeth and she felt her nostril flare as she started breathing faster.

Andy could see that Sam was struggling to keep his own temper under control as she watched him clench and unclench his fists. Like her, she assumed that he was struggling not to make a scene and draw Ford. All they needed was to make targets of themselves more than they already were.

Just then, one of the Officers that was evacuating knocked over a booking binder that had been left out on one of the desks. With a resounding _pow_ the sound echoed through the Division. It didn't sound exactly like a gunshot, but for the three Officers, who were already on high alert and not expecting it, the sound was close enough to make them think, at least for a moment, that it had been.

Andy's hand, which was already on her gun, gripped the stock of her gun so tightly her knuckles turned white. As she looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the sound, she relaxed somewhat as her brain processed that the sound hadn't been a gunshot.

But Andy didn't feel the tension coiled in her shoulders release until she saw the thick, black binder lying on the tile floor behind her. She kept hearing the sound of the notebook echoing through her mind and the thought that ran through her mind was, "What if that really had been a gunshot? What if Ford shoots Nick before I can warn him?"

Andy felt fear wrap it's tendrils around her mind and hollow out her stomach. She had been scared, nearly panicked even, before when she had been unable to reach Nick on the telephone, but the idea of Ford shooting Nick still hadn't been quite concrete yet. It was still just an idea, something abstract. She knew she probably started to panic because subconsciously she knew what it could mean.

But she hadn't let herself truly think about the implications of what a possible shooting could mean until that binder had hit the floor. Suddenly images of Chloe in the park, the day before, filled her brain. Images of blood pouring out of a wound that she couldn't stop make bleeding.

And that had been a moderately good outcome. Chloe had survived. Ford had screwed up. This time it would be in much closer quarters and at much closer range, with little to no chance of the person getting out alive.

That thought absolutely terrified her-she felt like she had been hit by a bus. Because she didn't even want to imagine a life without Nick in it.

With that realization fresh on her mind and adrenaline now coursing through her veins, she turned to Officer Smith. She was more determined than ever not to let Smith's ego end up costing Nick his life.

"Move." She said forcefully, looking him directly in the eye.

He seemed to be actually be considering backing down, a small look of fear creeping into his eyes. But at the last second he seemed to decide that she wasn't all scary and he stood tall again, the traces of fear disappearing. That was a mistake on his part.

"Like I told Swarek, you two are last two people that need to be in here. Go outside, I'll make sure everything's taken care of."

At that point, Andy pulled out her baton and held it front of her, threatening to extend it. She calmly said, "I'm getting by you one way or another. Which way is it?"

Swarek who'd only been watching up to this point, grinned and advised Smith, "I'd move if I were you."

Smith moved over somewhat hesitantly. And as they were passing him they heard him say, "Don't think I'm not reporting this to your superiors."

Andy could only mutter, "I don't care." They were only seconds away from the briefing room now and she could make sure Nick was safe. That was all she cared about. If she gotten written up or suspended, it would be well worth it.

When they reached the doorway, she felt a wave of despair crash over her. Her heart sunk in her chest as she saw only Marlo sitting at one of the tables. Nick's phone was on the table right next to her.

Andy saw Marlo turn around as they approached the table. She must have registered that something was wrong because her smile immediately disappeared and her shoulders tensed, as if she was expecting a blow. Not that surprising after the day she'd been through.

"Marlo, where's Nick?" Andy asked, distraught.

"He went to go talk to Kevin Ford's brother back in Interrogation." She answered. Then hesitatingly, she asked "Why?"

"Kevin Ford is in the station. We don't know where he is, but if Nick's alone he can get to him. Especially since he has no idea what's going on," Andy replied, the crease in her brow deepening.

Marlo eyes widened at the news and then she looked away in shame. Andy knew she felt badly about the consequences that had resulted from her investigation. This was just yet another cost that had been an unforeseeable consequence of wanting to be able to feel love.

Sam, wanting to waste no time in getting Marlo to safety, said, "Come on. We've got to get you out of here. We're evacuating the whole station."

"I'll be fine on my own Sam. You and McNally go find Nick." She said softly, but in a tone that brooked no argument.

Andy started heading for the door. She couldn't sit here while Sam decided whether or not he was going to come with her or argue with Marlo and escort her out.

"Marlo, you're not leaving here without me or another officer taking you. You're unarmed! You'll get yourself killed! Is that what you want?" Sam bellowed. He wasn't about to take no for an answer.

As Andy reached the door, she turned around to look Marlo in the eyes, "Marlo he's taking you, end of discussion." Then pausing just long enough to meet Sam's eyes she continued, "Sam, I'm going to find Nick. We'll be out as soon as I do."

Sam seemed to realize for the first time that by taking Marlo, he was leaving Andy to go locate Nick by herself. His brow furrowed and his gaze turned into a tortured one at the idea of having to make a decision.

"Andy, you can't go by yourself." He stated firmly.

"I don't have a choice Sam. Every second I spend here is…" And right then she was interrupted by the very sound she had been dreading. A sound that made her blood run cold.

A gunshot had rung out from the direction of the interview rooms.

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**_A/N: OK, so I'm evil. I left you all on cliffhanger. Like I said, I'll try to update regularly or semi-regularly. I do have two one shot McCollins fics that are both about 50-75% done, so I might publish those soon. I was motivated to get this done because I was so upset with the finale. And please review! Also, if you're looking for a safe place to chat about McCollins there's a forum (it's been a little slow to start, but we do have a few really good people)-look at the top of my profile because I can't post links in stories._**


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